Lemonade for Sale...I mean, Cicada Shells for Sale!

Yesterday we visited the Nature Exchange at the Springs Preserve.  Luke had a dragon fly that our cat had caught.  I encouraged Luke to write a report about dragonflies, to get extra points, but he didn't want to and I wasn't about to force him...especially while we are on "summer break."  He did get extra points for answering all of the questions she asked him about dragonflies, compound eyes, exoskeletons, etc.  Once again the Nature Exchange was a great experience.  She even suggested some insect classes for Luke that are coming up.  He will love it.  Luke traded in the dragonfly for a grasshopper "shell" (I guess they shed their skin/shells?)  and a cicada shell.  The cicada shells were only five points each so we asked her if they are very easy to find.  She said that they are all over the trees.  Sure enough, right when we walked out of the Nature Exchange, we found that not only do the cicadas make that lovely buzzing sound in the trees, but they also leave behind their shells all over the trees as well. Luke now wants to collect hundreds of cicada shells, set up a bench in our front yard and have a sign, "Cicada shells, $1 each!"  Uh, some kids sell lemonade, not my boy.  I really didn't know if I should encourage this idea or help lead him to a new idea with his cicada shells.  I couldn't think of anything else to suggest, so I told him that he could sell them if he is the one to figure it all out and do all of it.  Here he is looking for cicada shells.

Isabel didn't want to bring anything to the Nature Exchange so while we were there I looked at a book with her about desert flowers and tried to encourage her to press more flowers and then maybe she could arrange them on a piece of paper and we could laminate them.  I really think that is just the kind of pretty craft she would like.